I'm keeping my promise
by CatX3
Summary: In Oot after the Forest Temple, Link has a little bit of a nervoud breakdown. He doesn't want to continue on his journey...but Navi reasures him. ZELINK. for HelloToday, sorry it took so long ;3


**Hai everybody! This is for Hellotoday, sorry it took so long! I've been sooooo busy with school and stuff. :P Oh well, it's finally done! I hope you like it, and thank you for your many ideas for fanfics, i really appreciate them! and i hope you continue to help me, it makes me feel loved here on FF (teardrop ('; ) Well, Nintendo owns Zelda. Enjoy!**

"Link, maybe you should rest a while." I plopped down by the tree nearest to me. Electric shocks still surged through my body from time to time. That evil phantom had been the worst monster I'd ever faught...so far. And that was just the first temple, I didn't know how I'd deal with the rest...

In all truth, I really didn't want to do the rest. I didn't want this...I didn't want any of this! I never asked for it, at all. My life had never been easy, but all of this...missing seven years of my life and being put through this torture, this was more than anything I'd ever been through before. And I didn't want it, not anymore.

All I wanted was to see Zelda again...to have her close to me, to never let her go. But apparently...I couldn't have that.

I snapped back into reality when I realized Navi was speaking. "...Are you alright? You look upset." I sighed and closed my eyes. "Ya, I am." She flew over to me and worridly rested on my shoulder. "Why? What's wrong?" I gritted my teeth, trying to withold my anger. "I...I can't do this anymore!"

She jumped up from her resting place and was caught by suprise at my sudden outburst. "What do you mean...?" I stood up and put my hands on my head, shaking my head back and forth. "I didn't ask for this! I don't deserve this!" "Link, calm down-" "Let me get this out, alright Navi?" She didn't look convinced, but didn't respond...so I continued.

"I had my childhood stolen from me, Navi! What did I do to deserve that? I never wanted any of this, why couldn't I have been a Kokori and been normal? What's wrong with me, why did this have to happen?" She quickly flew over infront of me and put her tiny hands on either sides of my face. "Link! You didn't do anything wrong!" "Then why was I cursed like this?"

I fell to my knees and shouted to the sky. "Why did this happen? Why did all of this evil and suffering happen...and why was I chosen to bear it all?"

Covering my face with my hands, I silently cried to myself. "I...I don't want to be the Hero of Time!" Navi gasped at my words and floated to the ground next to me. She opened her mouth to speak but I cut her off again. "I shouldn't be faced with this...I should have a choice in this...I should-" "Link stop it!"

She breathed heavily, warning me she was getting mad. When I saw this, I fell silent. "Link, I know how you feel...I really do. But did you ever think of _why_ the Goddesses chose _you_ for this great task?" I roughly wiped my hand across my face, forcing away the remaining tears. "Yah, I wish I knew." "Well I know."

"It's because they believed in you, Link. Along with Me and Zelda." My ears perked up at the sound of the Princess' name. She took notice, and continued on with her speech. "I wish none of this had happened just as much as you, but it did happen. And now we need to fix it. Without you, there will just be more and more suffering and pain, we need to put a stop to it, Link. The world needs you...Zelda needs you."

I closed my eyes and listened to her. "Keep going..." She slowly nodded her head and fluttered over closer to me. "Link, it is horrible that you lost your childhood, but think about the Princess. She basically did too. She's been in hiding for the last seven years, her father killed by Ganondorf...but you didn't have to suffer all those years like her."

Looking away from her, I pulled out the Master Sword and stared at it. How could one tiny action have caused all this? "Remember your promise, Link..."

:FLASHBACK:

_"Don't worry, Princess. I'll get those Spiritual Stones before Ganondorf does, I swear it!" She smiled at me, her eyes sparkling. "Thank you..." I fought the blush threatening to appear on my face, and gave one final nod before turning to walk away. "Link, wait!" I felt a gentle hand grip my arm and slide down until it was twined with my hand. "Please, don't go yet." _

_I turned around to face her, and bit my lip. "Why?" She bit her lip as well, and looked to the ground nervously. If I wasn't mistaken, I thought she was embarrassed. "I...I want to spend some time with you." I could no longer hide the blush, it came rather quickly and stood out as if I'd smacked red paint all over my face. "You do?" She nodded and faintly smiled. "I would like to get to know you before you start your quest." _

_Behind us I heard footsteps walking away, somehow I knew it was Zelda's caretaker, Impa. "After all, you seem to understand me better than anyone else around here." She took a step toward me and held my hand tighter. I returned her smile with one of my own and we walked over to the cobblestone steps with which we had been previously standing. _

_We sat beside each other, an awkward silence beginning. She quickly spoke up, slightly suprising me. "What's it like out there?" I blinked a few times, pondering my answer. "What do you mean?" She looked off into the sky, giving me a strange feeling that I knew what she meant. _

_"Outside the castle...I've never been there, ever..." She looked back at me with a hopeful expression on her face "Could you tell me about it, please?" I quietly laughed, just loud enough for her to hear. "I can't really tell you a whole lot, Princess. I wish I could, but I don't know that much about it right now." Her smile slightly faded when she heard this. "Why ever not?" _

_"Well you see, I..." My expression saddened when I thought of the forest, and she took notice. "What's wrong?" She moved closer to me and drooped her head down so she could look past my hair and into my eyes. "I...you know Kokori Forest?" "Yes, Impa has told me much about it. The Kokori are children forever, right?" "Yes, that's right." She closed her mouth and looked at her feet, a hint of sadness in her face. _

_"So...you'll never grow up then." I thought for a moment, wondering if I should tell her that I will grow up. "Actually, I will." She moved her gaze back to me, somehow I knew she was happy about that. "You will?" "Yah, you see...I'm not really a Kokori." She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. "I'm Hylian...but I didn't know until a few days ago." _

_I closed my eyes at the painful memory. "I was born during the Hyrulian Civil War, my father was a soldier...and he died in action when It was just a baby. My mother was badly injured in an attack, and to escape she took me into the Forbidden Forest." I stared at the ground, blinking away any forming tears. "Shortly after she passed away, and the Great Deku Tree watched over me, raising me as a Kokori." _

_She folded her hands and closed her mouth. "My mother died when I was very young...but I still remember her perfectly." She sniffed and let her eyes water slightly. "But at times, I can't remember what she looked like." She shut her eyes and allowed a single tear to fall. "I hate it when that happens." _

_I had just met this girl, but for some reason, when she cried...I wanted to comfort her. I felt like I was the only one in the world that could make her feel any better...and in the future I would find out I was right about that. _

_"Princess..." I slowly and cautiously took her hands in mine and brought her face to look at me. "...Please don't cry." Her eyes opened a bit wider as she wiped her eyes. "I will, if you promise me you'll call me Zelda." My lips curved into a smile, and I thought for a moment before speaking. "I would...but I think I'll call you by something else. How about...Zel?" _

_Her eyes brightened when I said that, and she giggled. "Zel...I like that." Niether of us gave any protest to seperating, so our hands stayed connected. She stared at me, somewhat in awe. "You know Link, I've never had a real friend before." I stood up and took my hands away from hers. I jokingly bowed down, taking my hat off in the process. "Then it is my pleasure to be your very best friend, Princess Zel." _

_We both laughed as I sat back down next to her. Once we quieted down, she looked at me, a bit of seriousness coming across her face. "Do you mean that?" I smiled at her and plucked a flower next to me, holding it out to her. "Yes." She took it and slowly waved it infront of her face, taking in its scent. _

_She turned her attention back to me, a slight scarlet color visible on her cheeks. "So...what was life like back in the forest?" Navi peeked her head out from under my green hat. "Well, everyone has a fairy, like Navi here." She zoomed out from under it and fluttered around Zelda, causing her to laugh. "She's beautiful." _

_"Why thank you, Princess." Zelda gasped at the tiny fairies words, but quickly regained herself. "You talk!" I hid the smirk on my face by turning my head away. "Way too much..." I muttered. "What was that?" I immediately turned back around and smiled, trying to be charming. "Nothing, nothing." _

_Zelda brought her hand to her mouth and giggled. I gazed at the clouds, trying to spot one interesting. "Back in the forest...I was kind of an outcast." She stopped laughing and looked at me. "You were?" I nodded slowly. "Ya, Navi actually just came to me a few days ago. Usually a fairy comes to each Kokori when their very young, but I didn't get one till now. So I was always different, and made fun of for it." _

_She drew her knees up to her chest and listened intentally. "Except for Saria, she was my best friend. She never saw me as anything else but special." She bit her lip, instanly returning to normal when she saw I'd noticed. "...And the Great Deku Tree." She tilted her head in confusion. "Who's that?" "He was the Gaurdian of the forest...Ganondorf's spell killed him." _

_I gritted my teeth at the thought of that evil man. "I'm going to make him pay for doing that to him." She scooted closer to me and grabbed my hand. "Don't worry, We'll stop Ganondorf!" I smiled at her and nodded my head. "Zel, I promise you this. I'll always protect you, and never let him touch you." She hugged me tightly whispered in my ear. "Thank you so much for doing this...Link...I know you'll win." _

_She took a step back and held onto my hand. "Hey, even after this is over...will you come and visit me here?" I squeezed her hand. "Of course I will...I kinda like you, princess." As soon as I said that I regreted it. My face was now as red as a strawberry, and I realized what I was thinking I accidentally said outloud. "Uhh...sorry! I mean, uhh..." She brought her hand to my lips and shushed me. _

_"You mean that?" Her face was also red, but not nearly as red as mine. "Ye...yes." I could hear her heart beat faster, making mine do the same. "I kinda...like you too." She stepped closer to me until we was hugging me again. "Please, be careful, and stay safe." She placed a kiss on my cheek, making me gasp. "...For me." I grinned at her, still super red from her previos action. _

_"Of course!" She gently pushed me away, winking when she saw me goofy grin. "Now, go save the world." I fake- coughed and shuffled my feet. "I will, but I was just wondering if-" I was cut off by her pressing her lips against mine. I could swear I saw tiny hearts floating above my head. _

_Once we seperated, she smiled at me. "You really should go now." She giggled at me, 'cause I was kind of dazed and love-struck. "Ok...ok...ok..." I repeated over and over again, excited to finish up getting the stones, so that I could come back to her. She laughed at me, giving a little wave as I ran out of the courtyard. _

:END OF FLASHBACK:

"The people of Hyrule need a hero Link...Zelda needs a hero, she needs you." I looked up at her, my deep blue eyes boring into hers.

After a moment of thinking, I finally stood up and unshealthed the Master Sword. "I am Link, the Hero of Time. I swear, I will end Ganondorf's Tyranny and save this beautiful land of Hyrule. I will fight, I will win, and I will protect Zelda...because I love her."

Navi smiled up at me, obviously proud. "Link...I'm so proud of you." I sat back down and leaned against the tree. "Thank you Navi..." She flew over to me and kissed my forehead gently. "Rest now...believe in yourself as much as Zelda believes in you..." I closed my eyes and silently fell asleep.

The fairy nuzzled herself into the palm of my hand. "Princess Zelda loves you too..."


End file.
